Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a holistic medicine which uses specially prepared, highly diluted substances (given in tablet or liquid form) with the intention of triggering the body’s own healing mechanisms. Lorraine Whitby will prescribe homeopathic medicines depending on the patient’s specific circumstances and symptoms, personality, lifestyle, background, food choices and many other characteristics. For example if a child needs a homeopathic remedy for tonsillitis, Lorraine does not consider a general sore throat remedy. Instead, she will find a remedy that suits the child’s specific idiosyncrasies: perhaps the child is abnormally craving hot drinks when normally cold drinks are their favourite. The sore throat may be worse at night, and better for eating dry, scratchy toast. The child may be very cuddly and clingy along with swollen tonsils. Their stools could be loose, and they could be irritated and hard to please. With much cross referencing, a remedy is selected that, as much as possible, matches the person and all of their presenting likes, dislikes, symptoms, reaction to pain etc. This is called the simillimum. The most effective remedy is one that encompasses all of the key peculiarities of the person. So we end up with an individual remedy that suits the child, not a tonsillitis remedy. The strength of the chosen remedy – or ‘potency’ is decided upon once the energy levels of the client are considered.

Heal the person and the disease will take care of itself!

Would you like to be in control of your health & well-being, to understand why you suddenly became unwell?

Would you like support in managing symptoms that plague you periodically – for example hay fever in spring time or your yearly bout of winter flu?

Origins of Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a therapeutic method which has been used successfully for more than 200 years all over the world. It is now considered, within the realms of complementary medicine, to be mainstream and reliable. To restore health the homeopath seeks to find a remedy that matches the patient’s symptoms in totality.

The principle of treating “like with like” dates back to Hippocrates (460-377BC) but in its current form, homeopathy has been widely used worldwide for more than 200 years. Homeopathy was discovered by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, who was looking for a way to reduce damaging side effects associated with the medical treatment of his day, which included the use of poisons. He experimented on himself and a group of healthy volunteers, giving smaller and smaller medicinal doses, discovering that as well as reducing toxicity, the medicines became more effective as the doses were lowered. He also observed that symptoms caused by the toxic ‘medicines’ of the time, such as mercury which was used to treat syphilis, were similar to those of the diseases they were being used to treat. This observation led to the principle he described as ‘like cures like’.

Hahnemann went on to document his work, and his texts formed the foundations of homeopathic medicine as it is practised today. A BBC Radio 4 documentary aired in December 2010 described Hahnemann as a medical pioneer who worked tirelessly to improve medical practice, insisting that medicines were tested before use.

Homeopathy is a holistic system of healthcare that focuses on the patient, with all of their individuality, in order to restore balance, alleviate stress and disharmony and thus restore lasting health and well being. Homeopathy recognises that symptoms of ill health are expressions of discord within that person and it is the patient who needs treatment, not the disease or condition.

Homeopathy can be used in different ways to support a person’s health:

Constitutional support: supports and strengthens the whole system, physically, emotionally, energetically, which then allows the person to recover more effectively from various diseases and health conditions, because their own healing force as been rebalanced.

Homeoprophylaxis: can boost the immune system prior to travel, especially useful when the person has chosen not to use travel vaccinations.

Support throughout pregnancy and labour: Prospective parents often start their homeopathic treatment before conceiving for maximum effectiveness. Homeopathic support can be provided for each stage – from preparation for conception, pregnancy, labour and birth, and even adjusting to the role of being a new parent, and of course supporting the health and well being of the baby moving forward. There are very homeopathic remedies for morning sickness, constipation, heartburn and tiredness. Homeopathy can be safely used during pregnancy because the remedies work on an energetic level, so they contain no harmful substance that could damage the foetus or the mother. Homeopathic remedies are very useful in labour, as well as helping the mother and baby to recover after the birth.

Stress Management: the correct remedy can support you through a difficult life phase such as divorce, redundancy, illness, recovery from an accident, worry about family members, or when emotions are overwhelming you, whether that is grief, anger, sadness, anxious, feeling low, irritated etc.

In all cases, Lorraine will consider all aspects of your ‘picture’ to most effectively support you individually. All of these factors and more are considered during the consultation so that the treatment of two patients with the same problem will often be prescribed two different remedies, because as people, they are very different, and the remedy choice reflects this. For example, one person’s sore knee is soothed by rest and a hot bath, whereas another’s knee may respond better to ice and exercise.

An initial consultation can last between one and two hours. During that time Lorraine will ask about your illness and symptoms, and your reactions to those things. For example some people who are in pain feel irritated, others withdraw, and others need to talk about the pain. To obtain a complete assessment she will need to know many details about you as an individual. So questions will enquire about moods, feelings, reactions to stress, how you are affected by the weather, what kind of foods you enjoy or avoid, your medical/family history, present medications and supplements and anything else that might be relevant or that concerns you. All of this information, treated completely confidentially, will be analysed and assessed, resulting in a remedy being prescribed. You will have the opportunity to ask questions. Lorraine will help you understand what can happen when homeopathic treatment begins; after taking your remedy most patients experience a period of exceptional well-being and optimism. Sometimes a cold or some form of discharge may occur as the body responds and triggers detoxification in order to heal. Similarly, old symptoms may temporarily reappear, as the healing process begins, which is a indicates that the remedy is taking effect.

Lorraine will support you through this process, and advises adjustments to your remedy protocol as and when necessary. Homeopathic remedies work from the inside, so even when a detox reaction occurs, you will usually feel more positive and energetic and more able to cope. Using Homeopathy allows you to take ownership and control over your health. It is a complementary medicine that is effective in its own right but can also work synergistically with any other form of medicine to form an integrated approach to health care. It can be used alongside conventional treatments for eczema and asthma when reducing dependency on steroid medications.

Homeopathy can be used in acute medical situations such as childhood fevers, cuts and bruises, ear infections and teething, or in treating longer-term disorders like menopause, depression and allergies. Homeopathy does not seek to cover up symptoms; it works deeply to allow your own body to heal itself from within to permanently eliminate disorders. The introduction of Homeopathy often triggers a positive turning point in your health and wellbeing, facilitating a deeper understanding of your healing process.